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Riverbend Gardens offers a land of promise — conditions not found anywhere else in central and northern Alberta.

The giants of development have control of much of the surrounding lands, with the city-approved Horse Hill area structure plan.

But Janelle Hebert, armed with the city’s new Fresh: Food and Urban Agriculture Strategy, is fighting for the future of food security. She and her husband, Aaron, could sell the land where they operate Riverbend Gardens and walk away millionaires, but they see more worth in protecting the unique 3830 195 Ave NE space.

“After your kids are fed and they have a good place to live and you have friends and food. What else? You want that for the next generation,” said Janelle.

On the 140 acres, the Heberts grow around 25 different vegetables each year, always trying to stay a step ahead of the market.

They’ve experimented with different vegetables, a U-Pick strawberry business, and wholesale crops.

Despite the Horse Hill area structure plan getting city approval in February, Hebert says she has enough land rights that no one could force her to develop.

The highway is a different story. Plans for the outer ring road have been put on hold by the Capital Region Board, but Hebert believes the development paves the way for a highway dividing the property in half.

“It would destroy us,” she said.

Aaron fumes when he recounts reaction from city council to citizen objection to development. He said developers were praised for their hard work. “It was painful,” he said.

But there is hope.

Janelle sits on the newly-formed Edmonton Food Council, the first step in the Fresh strategy recently approved by council. The body will determine how to shape the future of food and urban agriculture in the city.

Hani Quan, the Fresh planner, said food touches everything — the strategy will have impacts on community, economic development and city building.

He said there is a strong citizen movement and several organizations are already looking to partner with the city.

The trick is putting the horse before the cart when it comes to putting the Fresh strategy into action.

“Let’s say we’re making a big pot of stew or soup,” he said.

“Nothing has been made yet. It’s not even ready to taste. I would say maybe we’ve done some of the preparation, we’ve chopped up some vegetables, thawed out some meat. We’re trying to see how things are going to go together. At some point very, very soon we’re going to get to the point where things are going to be simmering, things are going to be bubbling. But we’re not there yet. I’m hesitant to let you have a taste because I’m not sure that it’s that good yet.”

For some Edmontonians the change may be as simple as cooking their own food or growing vegetables in a garden. He said even if people don’t ditch the super markets for farmers markets, they’ll have conversations with friends, family and coworkers about where food comes from.

Already, changes are happening without intervention, he said.

Farmers markets are booming due to demand and food trucks have changed the landscape of the city.

Eventually, when people talk about Edmonton to someone from out of town, they won’t mention West Edmonton Mall, Quan said. They will talk about getting food from local farmers, restaurants that source ingredients from local producers and the food truck scene.

“It doesn’t seem obvious at first, but the whole place-making, city building and cultural components of the strategy could have a massive impact. As long as people are talking about it,” Quan said.

The food and urban agriculture strategy is about making sure there’s access to healthy food without shame.

“Ultimately, what we want is we want everybody to get enough food in a dignified manner to have that choice and do be affordable and available and accessible,” he said. “That’s where we want to be. We don’t ever want anyone of our fellow neighbours to feel like they have to go without a meal or without food.”

Area perfect for potatoes

The proof Riverbend Gardens has something special is in the potatoes.

When other regional farms are too muddy to drive a tractor through, Aaron Hebert is planting and ploughing.

“Nobody else has potatoes and we do. It’s not because I’m a better farmer than anybody else, it’s because of what we have here,” he said.

Soil scientist Leonard Leskiw has been studying the area since the 1980s and has been working to preserve gardens. Five miles north of the site, however, would be perfect for development because of poor soils.

But subdividing the land in northeast Edmonton for development will be a short-term gain, but a long-term drain on taxpayers.

“We’ve got a bank here, with cash and they’re trying to destroy it,” Leskiw said. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

The Horse Hill area has a potential production capacity of $500 million a year — 10% of Alberta’s agricultural market, he adds.

Leskiw compares Edmonton to Napa Valley. While the Napa Valley is only a few townships, in the ‘90s a decision was made to not subdivide, but to keep the land for wine. Horse Hills has similar returns per acre.

What makes the area unique is the soil, proximity to irrigation and the climate interaction.

Soils deposited by glaciers are sandier than much of the region, making it ideal for root crops. Too much moisture makes root crops rot.

Few farmers are located along a source of irrigation, while Riverbend sits on the bank of the North Saskatchewan River.

Fog lingers longer at Riverbend than other areas of the city, thwarting cold weather. The south facing land means soil heats up early and extends the growing season.

Throw in proximity to market and there’s nowhere else like it.

— GRIWKOWSKY

Poll

Should the city do more to protect local farmland?

A handprint is left after a seedling is transplanted at Riverbend Gardens in Edmonton, Alberta on Tuesday, May 21, 2013. Like any mixed vegetable farm, it is very labour intensive but the sandy soil, access to water and southern exposure make most typical farm problems manageable. AMBER BRACKEN